Rural India faces significant maternal and child health challenges, including low contraceptive use and high child mortality. In Uttar Pradesh, the contraceptive prevalence rate is 25.2% and there is a 23.8% unmet need for family planning. The remoteness of rural villages often makes it difficult for health products such as contraceptives and oral rehydration salts (ORS) to reach the people who need them. Lack of access to ORS is a major concern in India, where diarrhea is the second biggest cause of child mortality.

Over the past five years, Hindustan Lever Limited has developed a commercially viable rural distribution network of over 30,000 women entrepreneurs (Shakti) who sell Hindustan Lever Limited products such as soap and detergent in thousands of small villages throughout India. The program introduces products such as contraceptives and ORS into the Shakti network, providing a sustainable supply to rural populations in Uttar Pradesh that can be scaled up and replicated throughout India.

Together Hindustan Lever Limited and USAID identify priority health needs in rural areas. Based on the need, they design a pilot intervention for each product that includes both health aspects and a business plan. They work to develop partnerships with product manufacturers, establish links with public health programs, launch products and train Shakti women in promoting and marketing each product.